ANY CHANCE THE HIV VIRUS WILL DIE

[moskimo]

i ve been told to take my medication everyday for the rest of my life, at a time i am suppose to be undetectable, then i asked what becomes of the virus when it becames undetectable,i was told that they hide in lymph nodes and other cells of the body, now people i will like to know, isnt there a slight possibility  that these drugs we take will succeed in  killing these virus and has killed them without anyone knowing.i will like those that have taken this med for a long time to reason the same way i am doing,though the drugs companies says that we should take it without stopping,doctors and all the experts said so also,but what if they are wrong, what if this virus do die at some point.please i wll like some body to tell me if i am wrong or if my line  of thinking is washed up and outdated,i am eager to know.
   

[BM]

I wondered about that same thing for a long time. It seems HIV replication is a very complicated process, but as far as I understand, even when you're undetectable, you're never truly free of the virus because:

+ the virus' DNA is integrated into the DNA of your own, very long-lived cells.

+ because the DNA is integrated, there's nothing to "flag" infected cells to the immune system, so infected cells are never attacked and removed.

While on medication, the process of constant replication is stopped and infected cells "shut down". If you ever stop medication, these "latent cells" wake up and the process of replication and infection starts all over again.

[mecch]

Experts predict it will would take an average of 60 or more years for all the dormant HIV to be eradicated.
They are looking for other solutions now to flush out sleeping HIV so it can be eliminated. But it seems to be quite difficult to do.
Another theory is that there will be vaccines that will help an HIV+ control the virus for life, without having to take drugs.
In other words, for the time being, take your medication.

[Ann]

Moskimo,

We know that the drugs don't completely kill the virus. While one is supposed to keep taking the drugs without interruption, it doesn't mean that people don't sometimes stop taking the drugs. Even if they were undetectable while on the drugs, they always end up with a detectable viral load again once the meds have been stopped.

So no, until there's a cure, the virus will not die and leave your body completely.

Ann

[aztecan]

Hey Moskimo,

As Ann said, regardless of how long you have been undetectable, the virus will make a comeback if you stop meds.

The meds basically keep the virus in check in your bloodstream and, possibly, in other areas. But it cannot reach the virus living elsewhere. The virus also exists in your lymphatic system, your central nervous system - including your brain, and in your digestive tract, i.e. your gut.

The meds don't reach the virus in all of these locations. Some of the meds can cross the blood/brain barrier, but even they can't get to the bug everywhere it lives.

At least we have triple-drug therapies, which is something for which to be thankful.

HUGS,

Mark

[elf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorinostat

Zolinza is an interesting target for scientists interested in eradicating HIV from infected persons. Zolinza was recently show to have both in vitro and in vivo effects against latently HIV infected T-Cells.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316120848.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/77532.php
http://organizedwisdom.com/helpbar/index.html?return=http://organizedwisdom.com/Zolinza&url=www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4834299&fSectionId=561&fSetId=662
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/M807898200v1

 

[Inchlingblue]

Elf:

Thanks for those links. There is a whole thread on Zolinza in the Research News Forum


http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=26236.0

[weasel]

Hey Moskimmo 

   It sure would be nice if  HIV died !

   I would have  a  Funeral  for HIV 

   But for now WE all have to wait and keep taking our  pills .

   It could  be way worse .  I have come to terms with  HIV .

   It's there in my body and my body is just fine as long as I take my pills 


                                                          be healthy ,
                                                                            Carl